


Zenith

by shmorgas



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst with a Happy Ending, Atlantis the Lost Empire inspired, F/F, F/M, Gary Bettman: true evil, Kissing, M/M, Medical Issue Mention, Multi, Polyam Mention, Robots, Sailing, alternating pov, omakes as plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-23 23:24:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14943284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shmorgas/pseuds/shmorgas
Summary: One last mission so they can get out. Unfortunately, Journey Inc likes to create complications to avoid letting people go.





	Zenith

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Batik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batik/gifts).



> Batik, I am so pleased to be writing for you in this exchange! This...is not what I expected to come out when I originally sat down. Happily, I managed to keep all the wonderful travel and water parts that you requested as well as the sweet first kisses. I hope that you enjoy it!
> 
> To my beta, m: you are my rock, my writing soulmate, holding my hand throughout this entire experience to make sure that I delivered on time. You are the angel every person deserves in their life.
> 
> To my cheerleader, m: thank you for indulging me sending you snippets and encouraging this idea when it first bloomed in my head. You are my other rock and a true treasure. You have helped in more ways than I can count. 
> 
> To L: bless your reactions even though this is not your team and will never be your team.
> 
> Spoilers contained in end notes.

i.

Geno walks in to the debriefing room to find Sid is sitting on the table with a plate of cheesecake. Dread floods into him and a piece of dessert should not do that to a person. Alas, he knows his captain well to see the signs of foreboding. 

“Put plate down, Sid,” he commands, using the name he can only use when it’s only the senior officers.

“You can’t make me, Commander,” Sid mumbles over a mouth filled with food. Geno stalks over to the head of the table and nearly rips the cheesecake out of those broad, beautiful hands.

“I just did. Do not make cheesecake like you made Reese’s, enjoy when not about to kill someone in corporate,” he states. Sid lets Geno bully him into getting off the table and to stop eating like he’s going to die if he doesn’t.

“You’re going to deal with my cranky ass then for the rest of the senior officer meeting,” Sid warns. 

“It’s my job as your XO. Now, let the nice officers in.”

 

ii.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

Tanger always speaks the truth of his mind even when he can’t do it in his native tongue. This assignment is bullshit, this goal is bullshit, corporate is a cannibalizing shit pile of semen, they will all die.

“Bettman wants it done this way and our clients can’t fight back against him. Journey Inc is their only hope,” Captain says and god damn his fucking maritime sensibilities.

“No one is going to go along with this, not after the last mission,” Horny states.

“That motherfucker hasn’t answered us about Duper,” Tanger snarls and he feels the violence escalate in the room. They all are dangerous, violent men no matter what smiles they put on their faces. Each and every person at this table with extract a blood price and Bettman hasn’t paid yet.

“We do this, Duper gets his cure,” Captain says quietly. 

The room is deathly fucking silent.

“All promises and debts made to Journey Inc will be absolved.This, gentlemen, is our way out for good.”

His mind’s eye flashes to a future he wants: green grass planetside with the sun glinting in blond hair. A smile and his name in loving caress, “Kris.”

 

iii.

The dossier reads as follows:

_ “Dr. Julie Chu and Dr. Caroline Ouellette request assistance in the excavation and extraction of the Unknown Civilization artifacts located on Planet 95716, better known as Euxine. It has been determined that the nuclear quarantine is no longer needed and the planet is now compatible with life in accordance with our Solar System, may the system rest in peace. Traveling and recovering any information that can further our understanding of the original inhabitants of the Terrae Novarum Systems, and portal technology they left behind.  _

_ The Penguins have been contracted to help Drs. Chu and Ouellette with their goal. As per other arrangements made with the senior staff of the crew, lead by Captain Sidney Crosby, completion of this mission will release the contracts made by all crew members. All existing promises and services made by parent company will be fast-tracked. _

_ The Capitals have also been contracted due to the sensitive nature of the mission.” _

There is a lot that can be read in that last line.

 

iv.

Going against Sasha to buy their freedom back leaves ash in Geno’s mouth. 

 

v.

They have to have a crew meeting. The hope the kids have for freedom makes the ash taste transform into vile. Geno hugs Conor and Matt and Brian and Jake and Zach before calmly walking into the bathroom to vomit.

 

vi.

Sid walks into the hole on the port, gives the knocks and passwords, and relaxes when he finally enters into the bar. He walks through the annoying vape smoke and orders a piña colada and a beer. He walks towards the back where Alex is sitting, spread out and open like he’s an aging Russian mafioso. All that’s missing is a cigar. 

“Sidney Crosby,” Alex croons and leans over to gift Sid with the deepest wettest kiss he’s had in months. He crawls into Alex’s lap and presses forward, hard cock against the soft midsection. 

“Alex, so good to see you,” Sid says once he catches his breath. Alex leans in and kisses Sid deeply again, smacking his ass once. 

“That was for Zhenya, be sure to pass that along,” he says seriously. Sid rolls his eyes in response and leans back to retrieve the drinks and pass them along. He doesn’t want to move from this moment, from this lap of sex. 

“Like he’ll let me kiss him like that,” he teases. 

“Idiots both of you. You drag me away from Nicke for complicated feelings on your XO?” Alex complains. They’re skirting the issue tonight but they need to talk about it. Alex leans up and pressing his forehead on Sid’s jaw, feeling the mechanics work underneath the skin. It’s still weird to know he’s now part metal, how he’s stitched skin and grafted gears. 

They both have their families to think about and there will be death. 

 

vii.

Both teams are polite and knowledgeable. Julie hated the idea of turning to Journey Inc because of the many disgusting policies they had but university grants had it that they could only hire people from Journey Inc. She and Caro fought against it but eventually lost the war. They did, however, manage to get a few requests approved for the teams they had to hire. Amanda is currently reaping the benefits of one such request; this is the first time in five years she has seen her brother face to face. 

Captain Sidney Crosby and Captain Alexander Ovechkin seem to not have competing egos. They meet the academic team at port, executive officers both on their respective rights, and talk about the manifest.

“We’re here to make sure everything runs smoothly. While Euxine has been brought out of quarantine, there is still going to be some radioactivity on planet. We don’t want to limit your progress in any way, but we are still in charge of the general safety,” Crosby states.

“Thank you gentlemen for going through your expectations for this expedition with us,”  Caro says with her fake smile.

“How much debriefing have you gone through with this project?” Julie asks.

“Currently wondering why we were given grenade launchers,” Ovechkin answers with a roguish grin. Crosby’s eyes flicker with something strange before the moment passes.

“While Euxine is considered to be the edge of what was the old Imperial territory, our research has shown that it was the heart of portal development. There’s a possibility that we will run into security measures and unrefined portions of the elements that create the warp barriers,” Caro says, pulling up the planet on the holo-projector. She pulls it open, drawing everyone’s attention to a site in the southern hemisphere.

“The site we are going to seems to be the center of the nuclear bombardment, yet all the major buildings seem to be intact. We think that this was military and we need to treat the site as such. It indicates to us that this is the best possible location to begin and it’s possible we will have enough material to understand the origins of the war and perhaps, even the name of the Unknown,” she finishes. The two leadership teams exchange looks.

“How much usual archaeology are you expecting?” Backstrom asks. 

“If we can disable the security system, everything should go well,” Julie answers.

“Security system? Like heist?” Malkin asks with raised eyebrows.

They’re doomed.

 

viii.

The portal they’ve been approved to fly through is humming with energy. Geno feels it through his bones and he is currently throwing up in the lavatory. This is a reminder that the portal is for aliens, that the human biology is not suitable and breaks down against what’s being used.

Sid is waiting outside of the bathroom, water in hand. 

“When this is over, I want to get a boat and sail the seas of Neptune. Be on the water, fish, get a sunburn. Maybe have Taylor come with me when the water is in colder places, have you come on when dock in Miami,” he tells Geno in between the vomiting periods.

“Go snorkeling,” Geno mumbles into the cold rim of the toilet.

“Yeah.”

 

ix.

“Honored passengers, this is your pilot speaking, we just completed the warp to Euxine. We have some navigation to accomplish through the asteroid belt of debris but as long as we all remain calm, there should be nothing bad in your future. Thank you for flying Air Lawler.”

Erika kept her job as the pilot thank god. She would’ve cut the asshole who would’ve tried to take her out of her chair. She has worked for years to get to this point and she will not be deterred from seeing this shit through. She remembers talking with Julie about this trip when they were roommates together in undergrad. It’s finally, FINALLY coming together.

“Remember to fly straight Lawls,” her co-pilot tells her as they’re passing the wreckage of what appears to be a gigantic warship.

“Ruin all my fun Brownie,” she retorts with a dignified stuck out tongue. Brownie laughs and the butterflies that Erika thought would go away? Not gone.

That’s when a fucking energy beam pierces the hull of the ship.

 

x.

429 lives are lost in the course of fifteen minutes.

 

xi.

The escape pods land a hundred miles above their destination. They all watch as the mechanical thing destroys their way to get home until the foreseeable future.

“Motherfucker!” Flower yells. Everyone pretty much agrees with that.

Sid’s blood is pouring down his face from where he bumped his head. He’s crawling in and out of escape pods and pulling people out, screaming for medical and lost on what to do next. Alex helps his team and they meet in the middle to get their clients safe.

The competition is over. Survival is what matters now.

They all come together to take stock. There’s the need for a big speech about coming together and getting the job done. There is the dead to mourn, there is the life to continue.

 

xii.

Nicke does not appreciate being babied, and he will not let Alex go into a tizzy about his injuries. He  _ will _ drive the convoy and he  _ will continue _ his duties to coordinate with both the archaeology team and the Penguins to ensure that they all survive the hellhole planet that they are on.

“Evgeni, I will ask you again to stop antagonizing my fucking crew,” he commands at Geno. His eye is twitching badly. He has so much to say at this fucker and he wants to keep his reputation. 

“Then control Thomas,” Geno barks back. “He put another one in the infirmary and I do not care if it happens in down-time, it is too much.”

“Tom Wilson is a well-loved, capable, talented asset to my engineering team and as such, you have no jurisdiction over his behavior,” Nicke states, trying to rein himself in.

“I don’t care if he can rig teleportation back to Earth, I need him to stop ruining the hands of my cybernetics officers!” Geno roars and well that’s the end of actually trying to be civil. They don’t call him Mean Lars for nothing. It’s a shame really, normally he doesn’t have a problem with Geno but oh well. Time for him to die.

 

xiii.

Yeah, having to explain to everyone that Nicke and Big Zhenya are in time out together was a hit in the professionalism but a real big boost in morale. They’re holding hands for another hour while driving a truck. It’s Alex’s best idea yet.

 

xiv.

Dreams are always going to be weird when you’re traveling through time and space. You’re breaking the personal laws that should govern the human body and you gotta pay that price in one way or another. Sid usually does so in dreams. The routine of them, how they bleed together, the terror in his mouth spilling out into open air, it’s a strange sort of comfort. These dreams are nothing like what he’s been dealing with.

There is an alien world and it thrums with an energy almost like electricity but with an intensity of the end of days storm. He is calm however because while the energy is vast and terrifying, he is bathed in light. Sid is in the middle of it all. He is being judged for something, a task maybe? Before he knows what it is, he is awaken by screams of fire.

 

xv.

They can’t recover Julie’s body and Caro is wearing her hoodie, the stupid college hockey one that grossly says USA but it has survived the ship exploding and of course it would survive this next thing.

She wanders in the wreckage because she needs to find her wife, she needs some proof of death, she gets a touch on her shoulder from Conor Sheary who is covered in soot. Caro nearly wants to howl at him. Because of the stupid fucking contract that they signed with Journey Inc, they had to play it as best friends doing research rather than wives because Bettman is literally a robot from the dark ages. How dare does this young man do this to her? How dare does he stop her? Doesn’t he know how important she must stay to her task?

“She was thrown from the carrier before it crashed,” he tells her solemnly.

“Where did she land?” she asks, feeling panicked.

“Over the ridge, I’ll go with you,” he answers, not bothering to get permission from his Captain before setting off with her. They’re a fine pair, in their pajamas and slippers hiking to look for a potentially dead body. This expedition has been fucked for a long time, what’s the use of denying it.

As they climb over the ridge they hear some screaming and break out into a run down the shale slope. Caro’s heart is beating fast and all she can think about is the first time she saw Julie, the goddamn spite and beauty this rival player had. Oh how she fell.

“JULIE!” 

They can see the body, the source of the screaming, but there is no injury that they can see this far up. There’s another body and Caro picks up her pace. The closer she gets, the more she hears shrieks of laughter than shrieks of pain. 

There is another person with her. But this person has, as depicted in the images of Unknown sites around the system, a tail snaking up their back and it’s fucking moving. The tail is fucking moving, there is no fucking way that the tail should be moving unless-

Unless-

 

xvi.

The Unknown are actually called Bi’youk, which is the closest that human tongue can call it. Their main forms of communication include a series of clicks that no one in their group can truly replicate at this time. 

“How can you speak English?” Julie asks because she is thrilled and delighted. This is beyond anything they have ever imagined. As Irja speaks, it’s like she is rewriting all human understanding of what is possible. Irja is tall, more feline with her slitted pupils, tail, and long claws. These features would almost make anyone think of those bad catgirl animes, but there is something different on how it sits on her. Her palms are thick and her legs have a dip in the back, like where another toe would go. 

“But your language, flat and long, similar to a different language we have. So we can talk,” Irja says, throwing her hand out wide to indicate the way the sound would look. Right now, everyone is speechless.

Her broad shoulders and short hair are reminiscent of Earth’s lionesses but they could be misgendering her.

“You think that we are gone but we listen. We haven’t heard anyone but us for so long. Curious,” they say.

“So you magically show up right after our camp catches on fire?” Geno asks. He draws himself up to his full height, towering over most of them. He’s skinny but his anger radiates off of him like it can make up for not being as barrel chested as Ovi (as Captain Ovechkin has insisted that they all call him).

“We heard distress and could not wait any longer,” Irja answers. They call out, trills and purrs, as a signal for the rest of the group can emerge.

Julie promptly faints.

 

xvii.

The Bi’youk escort the group into the military base, which they call their version of Position Charlie. Geno is very, very tired and very, very wired. He hates how this is playing out because there is no fucking way it’s that easy. Dead alien empire suddenly turns out to not be dead. They want to help the explorers who have suddenly had their asses kicked again by bad luck. What if they sent that attack on the ship? 

Also, they look like cats, it’s ridiculous. 

Irja introduces them to the rest of the people hiding, and it’s overwhelming how this is the first contact. Geno notes that they carry weapons, nothing visible to his fellow humans but the way that their hips are ever so slightly uneven indicates that they’re wearing something heavy. Also, they have real life claws, grizzly-like in the curve and he isn’t an idiot to not see the danger. 

Sid, on the other hand, is ignoring all the danger signs for once. He is speaking with Irja about what the next steps are since Dr. Ouellette is taking care of Dr. Chu after her fainting spell. He is incredibly animated in this conversation, hands flying and smiles wide. It reminds Geno of the first time he met Sid, before they knew the true cost of the business they were getting into.

“Sup, G,” Lawler says, bringing him back from his memories.

“Erika,” he responds. “You believe this?”

“I keep pinching myself. We have names, we have people who know what the warp technology does because they made the fucking thing,” she says, half awe and half daze.

“Let’s see if they can get us back home,” he says before going to Sid. 

 

xviii.

Irja escorts them to the expedition site, guiding them through the traps and giving medical care. Turns out though, there’s some extra issues.

“We don’t know how to use our technology.”

The convoy completely stops when that is uttered.

“What do you mean you don’t know how to use your own technology? Considering how we never knew that you all still existed until this time, it seems unlikely,” Julie asks, unafraid of the Bi’youk. 

“We had a civil war that saw entire planets become dust. Fights over resources that let our foresires destroy the natural progression of the universe. They made a decision to destroy all that we had and to hide away,” Irja answers. Her cohorts mutter behind her, and it should be weird that she is the only speaking but it seems like an agreement. 

“Hide where?” Alex asks.

“In, what you say, bag?” she answers. She takes something out of her kit, a piece of rope. She has it taut and then slides the two ends towards each other, creating a loop. She’s muttering, like she’s trying to find a word in her own language and translate that. “A space made.”

“A pocket?” Tom suggests.

“Yes that! Our foresires made a pocket in space, where we could recover and reflect on the evil we made,” she says. There is a long pause and she takes a breath in. “It’s killing us. A planet is not supposed to be cut off like that, we are not supposed to be cut off like that. We came to find an answer on how to get out.”

Irja taps something on her wrist and her skin becomes dull. Scarring spreads all over her body, some tell-tale signs of radiation poisoning. Cybernetics glow through the thin parts of her skin and its vulnerable to show people this truth.

“I'm the only Bi’youk here who still has the vocal cords to speak with humans. We are losing power in our cities and our people to diseases that could be prevented if we had access to the technology that eliminated them. I would appreciate assistance in uncovering what is here so we both get what we want.”

 

xix.

Being told that this expedition will also save the lives of entire alien species makes Sid want to trade in his rations for a large slice of cheesecake. He really shouldn’t turn to food when freaked out, but he is very much panicking. He pulls out the schematics instead, looking over the buildings they need to hit. There’s a building that seems promising according to everyone’s intel. He closes his eyes and leans back, letting his mind wander for a moment. He hears the rustle of someone coming into his tent. He smiles, because it smells like Geno.

There’s a barrel of a gun pressed into the back of his neck.

“Mr. Crosby,” the robotic voice of Gary Bettman says, “I need you to come with me.”

 

xx.

“MOTHERFUCKER.”

 

xxi.

Gary Bettman has been alive for a long, long time because he has been rich for a long, long time. He made himself immortal, he took his consciousness and placed it into a computer and has been extremely happy with the decision. He remembers what Earth was like, how things smelled, how winter felt, how it broke him deep inside when they had to leave it.

He will not forget it, he refuses to let it die as humanity takes to the stars. He is going to bring Earth back. He will shed blood and sacrifice everything so that everyone can go home.

 

xxii.

Her blood is bright red. It shouldn’t be a surprise since the Terrarum Novae System was chosen because of how similar it is to Earth. Geno is on his knees as the robots of Bettman surround them and preventing them from stopping Irja’s suffering. The rage burns cold and Geno needs it stop.

“You will bring these materials to the UN and make us the masters of the warp portals,” Bettman says.

“You hooked ride with them? Did you not hear? We don’t know how,” Irja spits. 

“You must know something if you’re here,” Bettman says. He’s calm and soulless, like he’s talking about the fucking weather while torturing with the intent of mutilation. Irja groans, and saints above, Geno is going to barrel down the blockade of robots to stop this. 

“Comply with my requests for your health,” he states. 

She complies.

 

xxiii.

Bandaged and treated, Irja leads this stupid robot to the headquarters. They’re all silent, not even low trills are exchanged in front of this asshole. The way in is simple enough as she disarms the traps. It should be a joyous moment, reclaiming this piece of history with the help of a new people that builds from the ashes of the Old. 

She remembers the code from the archives she located in the library. Irja remembers how she rebuilt the server piece by piece, terrified that one misstep would forever corrupt what it held. She remembers the golden glow emitting from the power couplings when she finally got it right. She couldn’t save everything in the system but there was enough to get her team here.

The door slides and the same golden light comes out of the computers. 

“Motion sensor activation, after what, two thousand years?” Caro mutters before she gets a shove by a robot.

“Can you make it work?” Bettman demands.

“Yeah,” Irja says. She presses her claws to the keypad and thinks on what she needs to do next. There is a small possibility that the robots don’t understand the written language. 

“Now, what am I seeing?” Bettman asks and it seals her next decisions.

“The guide to the system,” Irja says. She types in a code in the command center, praying that this was a Loyalist secured base before it was bombed out. She hits enter and the system pauses for a moment. The golden light turns into deep, foreboding green. A hologram appears before them, a bi’youk of no determined age or gender or race but adorn with the ancient symbol of the imperial family.

“Protection protocol activate,” it states.

 

xxiv.

This place reminds Sid of his dreams. He only remembers the feeling it gave him and this place evokes the same thing. The hologram activates and Sid knows it. It is presenting itself as technology, but it is the storm he dreams about. While it is speaking in a language that everyone can hear, it is speaking words only he can hear.

“Sidney, can you protect your family?” it asks. There are voices layered underneath.

“Yes,” he answers.

“Will you join our voice to protect and to defend?” it, no they, ask. 

“Yes,” he answers again. He shivers and walks towards his purpose.

 

xxv.

“Sid?” Geno asks when his captain walks towards the interface. There is a strange light in Sid’s eyes, the same green color of the room, as he continues. 

“Nobody touch him,” Irja exclaims.

“Why is he moving then?” Bettman asks.

“Part of the program,” she lies. Geno feels panicked. “The systems works best with a volunteer.”

A volunteer? The group is anxious, everyone entranced by this turn of events. Sid reaches the hologram and utters long sounds and clicks that could be called the Bi’youk language. 

“Sid!” Geno yells, but it feels too late. The hologram and Sid touch hands, and they’re all thrown back by the connection. When they can finally see, neither remain the place they stood but are together as one. The new entity is flexing the broad fingers it took on, still data but more human than before.

“Interface complete. Program execution,” the being states before launching itself at the Gary Bettman. Gunfire begins to go off and everyone starts resisting. Geno ducks to the ground and grabs the nearest piece of rubble. It’s a long metal rod and it breaks the faces of the asshole boss so beautifully.

“Move!” he bellows. “Tanger, Flower, Horny, get us an escape route!”

“Willy, Burky, I need to know what the fuck that thing is!” Alex yells out as well.

“That’s the Guardian program!” Irja yells. The Guardian is unstoppable, flickering in and out of their sights as it methodically destroys each robot. There are answers needed but a fight needs to be won.

 

xxvi.

Cybernetics are strewn on the floor and the fight ends with no further casualties. The Guardian is still and waiting for more orders.

“Talk,” Geno demands because he is scared and confused. Irja doesn’t look as confused, just a tad regretful, which feeds into the feeling of Geno’s heart needing to escape his chest.

“The Guardian program was used to protect the Imperial family. It’s the blending of technology and organics, but I never thought it would look like this or ask one of you to join it,” she answers.

“What do you mean, join it?” he asks.

“Did you not hear binding of technology and organics? You have your own example lying on the floor. It learns from the warriors it binds with. I hoped that when it came, it would take me,” she replies.

“No,” he says, refusing to understand the implications.

“I’m sorry, he’s gone.”

“NO!”

The scream isn’t from Geno, it comes from Flower and the others. There’s a commotion and the Guardian is right fucking there motionless as everyone goes through their stages of grief. Geno is numb, he doesn’t want to acknowledge the truth. 

He walks to the Guardian and thinks to himself that he is never going to go on that boating trip with Sid. They are never going to sail with the sun reflecting on the water and making them both burn. He is never going to see Sid completely relaxed with the smile he has always loved. Geno is never going to get the opportunity to tell Sid that he loves him.

They have bled and fought and escaped every danger. Why is it different now?

Geno doesn’t realize that he’s raising his hand to the Guardian until he feels electrical energy zapping his fingers. For a moment, there is confusion and a cascade of voices all talking at once. 

“-he loves-”

“-is he really-”

“-we are alone-”

“-danger-”

“Geno?” 

That’s Sid’s voice, the Canadian drawl on his name. Geno reaches out with everything he has and leaps into the abyss. He hooks onto the voice and pulls.

 

xxvii.

There has never been a case of the Guardian letting anyone go, but Irja knows that their knowledge is incomplete.

 

xxviii.

Sid falls suspended out of the hologram. He is weightless and forgets how it’s like to breath. The Guardians let go of him and he should be crumbled on the floor. That is not the case. He is surrounded by strong arms, head pressed to chest to hear the erratic thudding of a heart. He opens his eyes and blinks.

“Geno?” 

Geno holds him tightly and inhales sharply. Wet curls are plastered on his forehead and he has blood on his mouth. Sid doesn’t hesitate to kiss him. They curl into each other, forgetting the time and place.

“Never again,” Geno whispers in between.

“Never,” Sid promises. 

 

xxix.

Everyone is kissing each other in the end. 

 

xxx.

Once all the kisses and hugs are exchanged, Sid finds Irja. He takes her hand and drops something into it.

“Empress, I believe this belongs to you.”

It’s a key. 

Irja takes it delicately and looks straight through him. 

“Thank you Captain.”

 

xxxi.

They find an intact tent and camp far away from the crowd. Geno can’t help but press kisses all over Sid’s face, taking delicate care where bruises have formed. Sid hungrily gives what he receives. He caresses Geno’s face every so often with a soft look.

“I never thought we would get here,” he says as he looks into Geno’s eyes. There’s a sense of exposure and warmth, like nothing was seen that could not be met without acceptance. 

“You thought about this, Sid?” Geno asked. Sid hummed low and kissed him again.

“All the time. I wanted you so much, I didn’t want to risk anything to have you leave.”

Geno has to kiss this man again. 

“Ridiculous,” he says. Sid laughs.  
  
  


_ epilogue _

 

Sunburn hurts when you add windburn as a layer on top of it. Geno is currently lying in the cabin with aloe vera slathered all over his torso. He considers using the heavy duty healing balm that Irja packed in their bags before sending them back to humanity. The Bi’youk have not reappeared since that expedition but have sent them off with enough information to settle the original parameters of the mission. 

Journey Inc has denied all rumors that their founder and CEO Gary Bettman has died. They have paid the Penguins and Capitals handsomely for them not to contradict the statement. They never took the money because they had fuck you money from Irja. Apparently instead of curing the population, their planet kept shitting gold. The look on everyone’s faces was priceless.

It was enough money to buy a boat and go sailing. Geno is being lulled to sleep by the waves when Sid arrives with food. 

“Honey,” he says, leaning down to kiss his head, “I have grilled cod. Eat.”

Geno groans dramatically. “I don’t want that.”

“Different meat after you eat.”

It shocks Geno so much that he laughs until his back starts peeling. He loves him. 

“You are best ridiculous boyfriend,” Geno tells him. 

“Fiance, I’m the best fiance,” Sid laughs. He smiles and Geno has to kiss him. They deserve this happily ever after. 

**Author's Note:**

> \- The other background couples: Ovi/Nicky, Brownie/Lawler. The blond Tanger mentions is Olli 1000000000% They were not tagged because their scenes barely made it in.  
> \- Sid and Ovi kissing? I texted L this scene and wondered if I was ok. You know, sometimes you need forced rivals to express their deep feelings via smooching.  
> \- The Bi'youk are not a monolith! I hope this was made obvious with some of Irja's comments but there was no time to expand on that. There are a lot of notes about this alien race that also did no make the final cut. I also apologize for not naming the rest of Irja's team.  
> \- Is Irja the Empress because of codes she found or is it because she actually is descended from the line? That's up to you!  
> -The Guardian program did connect with Sid long before he arrived to Euxine. It is an open-ended question on how that happened, similar to how the crystals in Atlantis the Lost Empire have almighty strength without explanation.
> 
> Thank you all for reading! If you have any lore questions, drop a comment and I'm happy to go on about it.


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